Wireless Connection Help Needed FC2 Orinoco Card

[georgec02]

Hi all, I am a complete Linux Newbie.

I just installed Fedore Core 2 yesterday.

Laptop Install on a Compaq Presario 1900
Lucent Orinoco Silver 802.11b Wireless Card

Running a home network with a Linksys Wireless Base Station

I have been having problems getting my wireless connection to work:

At first the card would not start up (no lights), but I found the answer on another thread :

$/sbin/modprobe yenta-socket
$/sbin/service pcmcia start

This got the card going - one light on solid. The blinking connection light is not on. Is there anyway not to have to type this everytime I reboot? Also, more importantly, now I am having problems configuring my wireless network:

I went to System Tools>Internet Configuration Wizard

Plugged in my wireless information (The Lucent Card comes up)
-Mode: Auto
-Network Name: My Home Network Name
-Channel: The correct channel
-Key: Copied from the WEP Key setting on the router (64 Bit) 10 digits alpha/numeric

In the Network Device Control there were two devices listed:
Status / Device / Nickname
Active eth0 eth0
Inactive eth0:1 eth0:1

The second inactive one has the little wireless icon before it.

When I try to activate it, I get the following message:

Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06):
     SET failed on device eth0:1; Invalid argument.
Error for wireless request "Set Frequency" (8B04)
     SET failed on device eth0:1; Operation not supported.

Determining IP information for eth0:1...SIOCSIFFLAGS:  Cannot assign requested address
SIOCSIFFLAGS:  Cannot assign requested address
failed.

Any help would be very appreciated!

This is my first time trying to install Linux. I have no command line background at all, but follow instructions well. Thanks in advance.

[Emily]

everything sounds like it's working ! you did the right thing, I think... but in system-config-network you should check the box that allows all users to activate the device

the steady light (on my card at least, and it's the same kind) means it's connected (blinking means it's trying) so it's just a network thing or wireless protocol thing if it's not working

wireless stuff is just the kind of thing where there's so much to go wrong, it's tough to help unless you're there to see what's going on

[georgec02]

Thanks for the follow-up. I'll try to change the system-config-network. I am currently going in as SU to make the settings changes to the network.

I wanted to clarify the lights: On my Lucent Orinoco Silver card, there are two lights.

The one that is green, I think, is just to indicate the card has power and is active. There is a second one right next to it that usually blinks when it is searching for a network or sending/receiving data. This one is not on at all.

Also, another note of clarification:

I tested the PCMCIA slot with an ethernet card (non-wireless). It was recognized and operates fine. I am able to connect to the internet etc... So, I would still appreciate any help in getting the wireless up and running.

Thanks!

[jramboz]

I'm getting the exact same error messages. I'm at college, and trying to connect to our campus wireless network. Did you ever figure anything out on this problem? I would really appreciate knowing!

[georgec02]

I have not received any further info/figured it out yet. I am currently using a hardline/ethernet connection. So, it must be something to do with the wireless adaptor configuration and not the PCMIA card adaptor.

[sinsin07]

I would be interested in knowing what Orinoco card georgec02 is using. I am looking to by one this week. I called Proxim and asked them which cards work with Linux, and according to them, it is the Ornioco Gold Classic, model 8410 WD/A. There also appears to be 2 versions of the Silver model, classic and just Silver, which is model 8421-WD. I could not find any model for the Silver Classic yet. The Gold model (not classic) is 8420-WD.

Which one are you working with?

Thanks

[georgec02]

It's one of the original 802.11b Lucent WaveLAN Silver cards : p/n 012372/C

[sinsin07]

Thanks georgec02 for the info. It looks like I will have to shell out the 80 bucks for the gold classic this week. I am tired of fiddling with my Linksys, Intel and D-link cards. I can't understand why the new silver, 39.99 and the new Gold card, 64.99 cost less than the classic.

[L0t3k]

I don't know how far you got with this, but I'm using an old orinoco silver card.
I had the same problems you're having. I solved the SIO problem by killing the eth0 that was autoinstalled and adding it back as a wireless card without the whole alias thing (eth0:1).

After that, the problem was that it can't set mode, channel, or key. I set the router to the same channel the card wanted to use (5), shut off the encryption, and restarted. It worked fine. Now I've seen some threads in other forums that suggest you need to patch the drivers for it to get the SET functions to work, but I'm afraid to tinker with it at the moment. Lemme know if you get any further.

[pancakelizard]

i have the gold usb version and can't find drivers for it anywhere.
i hate having to use windows for the internet ;(

[glastar2000]

Use driverloader from linuxant. all u do is use the windows drivers not the windows OS. It worked for me Do a search for the cards drivers by card name...drivers.